Carethics

One sees the increase in health care knowledge and technology, yet health care is not accessible to those who most need it. Increasing the accessibility to health care especially in developing countries like India means increasing the affordability to health care and increasing affordability can come only with innovation: innovation of drugs, technology, business models, strategies, practices and policies.

Biocon is one such company that has kept “affordable innovation” as its motto right from the beginning. As per the source, Biocon has adopted the strategy of forming symbiotic partnerships with companies around the world to create and deliver value. They believe that such research and marketing partnerships help share risks, costs and also complement to fill the other’s gap, which in turn speeds up the pace of development.

For example, Biocon has partnered with the Centre for Molecular Immunology (CIM) in Cuba, to develop products for the head and neck cancers, since millions in India, especially in the poorer sections suffer from such cancers due to tobacco consumption. Affordability of the product, due to such partnerships helped benefit thousands, who otherwise would not have been able to afford and hence access the medication.

Thus, to ensure health care for all , such innovative practices and collaborations should be pursued more aggressively by the all the health care service providers, especially in developing countries like India, where drugs for malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS are yet inaccessible to all.

Where there is a lack of quality information online for the health care of the elderly in India, Caring.com, a San Mateo-based start up is a worthy example.

As per the source, founded in 2007, Caring.com focuses on ‘eldercare’ related information such as healthcare, financial, legal and housing for the elderly. Two of the company’s three co founders are from Baby Centre, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary.

In fact, Caring.com had raised $6 million in its first round of funding led by DCM and Split Rock Partners and has raised $10 million in a second round of funding led by Shasta Ventures. The site’s traffic growth and ad performance – display ads and sponsorships, were a great attraction for the investments.

Such platforms can serve as great means to provide valued, quality and aggregated information to users and can look at long term prospects of growth and self sustainence through ad revenues.

However , one does see a few such health care initiatives in India too such as www.bolohealth.com and hopes that this visionary initiative meets as much success as Caring.com.